Suppression of Questions and Criticism
Have you ever been part of a group where you had a doubt or a question about what the leadership was doing? Did it feel okay to ask your questions or express your doubts to other group members or to the group leaders directly? If not, how did it feel?
In healthy communities, curiosity and respectful disagreement are signs of engagement and psychological safety. In cult-like systems, however, questions are treated as threats - something to be controlled, redirected, or eliminated.
This dynamic plays a central role in how high-control groups maintain authority and cohesion, and it can have a lasting impact on those who have been involved.
Why It Feels Dangerous to Ask Questions
Leaders of cult-like or authoritarian systems will often position themselves as the ultimate source of truth. In any situation, their perspective is not just the “right answer” but the only answer.
When members ask questions about things like inconsistencies in information or leadership behavior, it introduces uncertainty into the system, and that uncertainty is perceived as a threat.
The protective response? Flip the script.
The leadership will reframe skepticism and doubts to be personal flaws rather than a reasonable response to a legitimate concern. Group members might be told that questioning reflects fear, ego, or spiritual weakness, and the person asking the questions might be held up as a negative example for the whole group. In such an environment, critical thinking begins to feel very dangerous.
Why and How It Works
Even the most authoritarian leader will never say outright that questions are not welcome. In fact, they will often say exactly the opposite! Their words will invite you to ask them anything, but cult-like groups have a number of backhanded ways that they can communicate and enforce blind agreement over independent thought.
In some cases, questioning is punished under the guise of “disruptive behavior.” The offending group members might be publicly criticized and shamed, stripped of roles, isolated socially, or threatened with expulsion.
Although it may not be apparent, there are specific reasons why certain members are subjected to this severity of punishment where others might be treated less harshly for a similar infraction.
Fringe members of the group (those who are undeniably “part of the group” while still not having very close connections to other members) may receive the more severe punishment in order to serve as an example and an object lesson for the whole group. Because they are undeniably part of the group, it will communicate the message to all other members that they too might be subjected to this kind of public shaming, while their lack of close connection means there is a low risk of other group members reacting to a friend being treated badly.
On the other end of the spectrum, if a group member in any level of leadership role openly expresses questions or doubts, they too will be given the most severe of punishments. This is by necessity, since there is no greater threat to the illusion of unanimous agreement than to have a respected group member questioning whether everything is truly as it appears to be. Dissent at the leadership level must be silenced quickly, and so harshly as to discredit the former leader and discourage any other members from joining in with them.
In both cases, the public humiliation of the individual carries a message to the group: follow the party line, or this will happen to you too.
Other Types of Suppression
Suppression can also happen through a subtle but powerful combination of dismissal, spiritualized language, and emotional manipulation intended to evade and discourage questions or doubts.
Some examples of common messages include:
- “That’s just your fear talking.”
- “If you were more evolved, this wouldn’t bother you.”
- “Questioning creates negativity.”
- “You’re not ready to understand this yet.”
- “If you were doing it right, you wouldn’t be feeling this way.”
These types of messages serve the dual purpose of deflecting attention away from the leaders or the group and turning it back on the questioner, turning their legitimate doubts into an indication of a personal failing.
Over time, members internalize these messages and turn on themselves, condemning themselves for continuing to doubt. Eventually they will no longer be able to admit to themselves that they have questions and doubts, but the questions and doubts are still there, never resolved, never answered.
Psychological Impact
When critical thinking is discouraged, individuals begin to doubt their own perceptions and emotional responses. Confusion and doubt about group practices are redirected from being a leadership failure to being a personal failure. Legitimate discomfort with the group is reframed as a weakness to be overcome within the group rather than as an indication that the group is not a safe place to be.
There are a number of common long term effects for individuals who have experienced suppressive or controlling environments. For example, they might have difficulty trusting their own intuition, or they might believe that authority figures know better than they do, even about their own experiences.
These beliefs can persist long after leaving the group. Asking questions or expressing disagreement can trigger shame or fear, even in safe settings. Relationships with any type of authority figure might be deeply conflicted.
Recovery involves relearning how to think independently, rebuilding trust in your own thoughts and your own instincts. It’s not an easy journey, but healing is most definitely possible.
A Final Thought
Healthy systems do not fear questions. They welcome discussion, questions, even criticism.
If you have found yourself silencing your doubts, fearing to disagree, or struggling to trust your own judgment in a group environment, these may be reasonable and understandable responses to an unhealthy environment. With appropriate support, it is possible to reclaim your autonomy and rebuild your own independent life.